


When The Lightning Strikes

by Kimmy



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Baking, Burrito Of Sadness, Cinnamon rolls, Cooking, Domestic, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Eve Is Afraid, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Fluffy The Fluffiest, Gareth Hugs Her, Getting Together, Living Together, Romance, SINnamon Rolls, Talk Of Future, Thunder and Lightning, Thunderstorms, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 19:10:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6717844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmy/pseuds/Kimmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's dark and cold outside, the strom raging, when Eve turns up on Gareth's treshold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When The Lightning Strikes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Captain_Mercurian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Mercurian/gifts).



> For you, darling, for making this world a bit more beautiful with your films. (Even if you kill people. But we'll work on that.)

Shortly before he gets the position of M, Gareth Mallory’s life falls apart. Not that it was ever perfect, but his house burning down does put a dumper on things. So when he gets a chance, he jumps at the possibility of a huge, comfy MI6 issued loft in a building that was lately renovated just for the agency and which - for no apparent reason - no one wants to live in yet. It may be the fact most of MI6 workers actually want to leave their work just there - at work. But Gareth doesn’t mind. He moves in on the last floor, and a month later Eve moves in next to him - she says it’s bigger than her flat and the view is stunning, Gareth knows, so who wouldn’t take the chance?

It’s just two flats on a floor, so they’re alone in their space (and the building, thus far.) and it’s good. Comfortable. They leave for work together and one of them always remembers to drag the other one back home when they pull all nighters.

Without noticing, at some point, Mallory and Moneypenny - coworkers, become Gareth and Eve - friends.

And now it feels almost strange, because for the first time since… forever, actually, Gareth is in his flat not just to sleep. (Bill decided they were taking a day off. End of discussion. Sometimes Gareth wondered who was really M in this agency.) The strangest thing it felt… empty, without Eve, now that he was awake.

The weather seemed to agree with him and at some point the pouring rain that accompanied them on their way in turned into a full blown thunderstorm. 

He contemplates just going to bed and laying there in his misery but a knock on the door interrupts him. It’s not that hard to figure out who it is, with just the two of them inhabiting the building.

He opens the door and smiles softly at how stunning Eve  looks in her casual homey attire. She has black leggings, fluffy socks with flowers on them a huge red sweater on. She is hugging herself tight and looks a bit sheepish but she smiles and even in the drenching whether, Gareth feels there’s sun in his world.

“I… It’s silly. But lying would be silly too and I --” The pause is barely there, but Gareth can hear the hesitation. “--trust you.” Gareth’s breath catches at that. “AndImaybealittletinnytinybitafraidoflighting.” The words come out too quietly and to quickly for Gareth to understand, but before he can even prompt Eve to repeat she looks up, her chin held high and says it again. “I’m afraid of the storm.” He opens the door wide, letting her in and leads her to the couch. 

He makes them tea, because tea is good for everything and he and Eve share that faith along with their passionate hate for coffee. Eve ends up getting wrapped in a blanket still, despite her warm clothing and he sees it as a comfort that it is. 

So she’s a burrito of sadness kind. Interesting.

There’s another thunder and a lightning that brightens the whole apartment for a moment, giving Gareth a clear view of Eve practically melting into the blanket, shaking with fear in her eyes. He doesn’t think about he’s doing, it’s just a natural reaction.

He gathers her in his arms and embraces tightly, hugging and murmuring in her ear.

“You’re such a cinnamon roll.”

And that. That is a right thing to say. 

Thunderstorm outside be damned. Eve turns into one herself. 

She’s a very angry, evil plotting burrito now and Gareth doesn’t find that cute. Or adorable. He doesn’t. 

“I’m no cinnamon roll! I’m sinnamon roll, Gareth.” She draws the words out to emphasise just how wrong Gareth’s assumption was and how huge the difference is. He thinks she may be be both, actually and, no use in fooling himself, she’s extremely adorable.

The angry pout disappears as the next lightning strikes, unfortunately.

And then Gareth gets the idea.

“We need to get you distracted.”

Eye just raises an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Oh no, don’t look at me like that. It’s a great idea. You need to do something and in a great company at that --” Eve chuckles a bit at that. “--and that way you will have sth to focus on during the storm and something positive to associate it with later.”

Eve grudgingly smiles and admits defeat.

“Alright. So what will we be doing, then?”

Gareth grins.

“Baking.”

She looks dubious but Gareth has always felt at home in the kitchen and he knows she’ll get into it in no time. 

He stands up, bows low and gives her a hand.

“Your majesty. I’m afraid you’ll have to shed the blanket.”

She laughs, taking his hand and untangling herself.

“If you’ll allow, we will proceed to the kitchen.”

He gestures for her to go first, but she stops then, a hesitant smirk playing on her lips.

“On one condition, gentleman.”

He looks at her expectantly and she lowers her tone to a conspiratorial whisper.

“It’s a date.”

He knows his face goes beetroot red but she’s blushing too so he decides to be brave for once, and drops the playful act, standing straight in front of her, looking her in the eyes, his expression nothing but sincere, still holding hands.

“I think I have slowly fallen in love with you over those past few months of living here, Eve, so if I may, yes, I would very much like so, to take you on a date to my kitchen.”

She chuckles at that and he feels warm blush on his cheeks still, but it’s worth it, because she smiles and kisses him and when it ends Gareth is surprised the storm is still raging outside instead of sun, rainbow and maybe even unicorns.

He smiles at her, squeezing her hand and leads her to the kitchen.

“Come on, my cinnamon roll. We’ll make you some.”

She pouts again and it’s Gareth’s new favourite thing.

“Imma sinnamon roll!”

He kisses the pout off.

“Whatever you are, Eve, I love you.”

(They end up making both classic cinnamon rolls and sinnamon rolls with marinara and garlic, covered in parmesan frosting. They’re delicious and they feed them to each other, kissing in between and discussing removing the wall between the apartments. It’s probably too early, because no matter how long they were pining friends, it’s only their first date, but neither of them cares.

And in the end, long after midnight, Eve will fall asleep cushioned on Gareth’s chest, blissfully peaceful and unaware of the storm still raging outside.)


End file.
